Highland Archive Centre

15/10/2026

Today's Learn with Lorna (episode 267) looked at the subject of crops and famine to mark tomorrow.

One of the documents referenced in the episode was GB0232/D766/8/1/1 - minutes of a meeting of the standing committee of the County of Inverness appointed to watch over the interest of the county in regard to the failure of the potato crop and consequent destitution of the 1840s.

The meeting, which was called by William Fraser-Tytler and held in Inverness Castle on 13th February 1847, saw Andrew Fraser give a report about the state of crisis of the population on the west coast of the county.

He recorded that he had found "a considerable population in almost all these districts in a state bordering on starvation", noting that in some places people had only 2 days-worth of food remaining, and that in others there were large grain supplies but the general population were not being given access to them.

The 46-page document gives detail about each area he visited but also includes a overview table which shows he was made aware of over 2550 people in destitution on his journey.

To catch up on this episode visit https://youtu.be/SdcxMHeKQhA?si=VG7NEZX7c9sQ0v8U and to learn more about World Food Day visit https://www.fao.org/world-food-day/en

15/10/2026

Learn with Lorna 267 – Crops and famine
Part of a series of events to share the collections of the Highland Archive Service.
This livecast is being brought to you by High Life Highland at no cost to the viewer.
High Life Highland is a charity registered in Scotland.
This event does not require any payment or subscription but we welcome donations.
To donate please visit https://shop.highlifehighland.com/products/archives-choose-your-donation
All previous episodes can be seen at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyxasYGi8kIcL7OThf1QGsHAMACY_1DGE&si=1u6WUF-hBjP7iV1H

14/10/2026

HCA/D290/1 Brora Colliery Scrapbook

Brora Coalfield was the most northerly Coalfield in Britain, and the only commercial coal mine with deposits from the Jurassic period in Scotland.

Coal mining began in 1598 in bell pits. The coal was essential for fuelling the local saltpan industry, of which the salt then preserved the salmon caught in Loch Brora and the River Brora. Expanding in the 19th century, the first pit known as the ‘Ross Pit’ was sunk in 1811, measuring 70 metres deep. The Ross Pit neared exhaustion by the 1960s and was closed by a fire in the May of 1969. In April 1969, ‘No. 2’ was opened and began production in September of that same year. However, 5 years later, Brora coalfield closed completely in 1974.

The Brora Colliery Scrapbook shows many of the people who worked in these mines.

12/10/2026

Here we have another image taken from our collection of the Highlands & Islands Fire & Rescue Service (HCA/FB/3/5/2/2). The reverse of the image is captioned ‘Fire Brigade Bravery Awards – Crane Rescue 1990’, but we do not know the names of any of the recipients. Do any of our readers recognise anyone here?

09/10/2026

HCA/D766/1/1/4/7 Letter from Henry Home, Lord Kames to Jane, Duchess of Gordon, 14 Apr 1777

and

HCA/D766/1/1/4/9 Letter from Henry Home, Lord Kames to Jane, Duchess of Gordon, 13 Oct 1782

In our Fraser Tytler collection, we have a bundle of letters written by Henry Home, Lord Kames, to Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon, between 1768 and 1782. It is clear from the letters that they were close friends; he writes about visiting her at Gordon Castle, and her visiting him at Blair Drummond.

Before photography was invented, painted portraits were the only way to capture a person’s likeness. Jane was painted many times by prominent artists of the era, including Reynolds and Romney, but what is documented in these letters is her desire to have a portrait of her friend, and his resistance to the idea of it!

Henry’s thoughts on having his portrait painted can be read below:

14 Apr 1777: ‘Often have I been solicited by friends and wellwishers, of both sexes I assure your Grace, to bequeath them my picture for a remembrance after I am gone. “Is this lank withered visage of mine, said I, to be the only remembrance of me? In the days of my youth, you might have prevailed: now it is too late. But my good people, take not my refusal to heart. I intend to leave pictures that will show me to more advantage than any that can be drawn in colours.” Pray, what are these? “First, my writings, which I hope will delineate my heart as well as my head. Next, my farm as an example of good husbandry. And the third, which I value the most, is a choice collection of letters wrote to me by several of the most eminent persons in Britain, and even by several foreigners.”’

13 Oct 1782: ‘But now to a more gay tho’ less interesting subject. I long parried the desire you expressed for my picture; because my visage was none of the circumstances by which I wished to be kept in remembrance. At last I submitted, and sat to Brown the miniature painter, purposing to bring it along with me. But I could not draw it out of his fingers, and he has it still. When I go to town it shall be ready for your orders. Well or ill done, it will be a test of my obedience at least. At the same time I wish rather to be recommended to your children by my two favourite works, Elements of Criticism and Thoughts on Education, the former composed under your eye, and the latter intended chiefly for your use.’

09/10/2026

It was a pleasure to give this talk this morning and to chat with so many of those who came along.

We're already looking forward to the next instalment on 6th November which will look at stories from the Jacobite-era and can be booked at https://invernesscastle.scot/events/stories-from-castle-hill-from-jacobite-risings

Full house (and full plates of scones) in the North Tower Bar for Lorna and her first talk in the ‘Stories from Castle Hill’ series.

Don’t miss the next one: https://invernesscastle.scot/whats-on

Highland Archive Centre High Life Highland

08/10/2026

As promised for those watching this morning's Learn with Lorna the few remaining places for Lorna's talk at Inverness Castle Experience tomorrow morning can be booked at https://invernesscastle.scot/events/stories-from-castle-hill-from-riots-to-rebellions

Join Lorna for stories of intrigue and drama as well as a cup of tea and a scone!

Am Baile - Highland History and Culture High Life Highland The Highland Council

08/10/2026

Learn with Lorna 266 – Latheron Poorhouse correspondence
Part of a series of events to share the collections of the Highland Archive Service.
This livecast is being brought to you by High Life Highland at no cost to the viewer.
High Life Highland is a charity registered in Scotland.
This event does not require any payment or subscription but we welcome donations.
To donate please visit https://shop.highlifehighland.com/products/archives-choose-your-donation
All previous episodes can be seen at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyxasYGi8kIcL7OThf1QGsHAMACY_1DGE&si=1u6WUF-hBjP7iV1H

07/10/2026

HCA/D12973/3/2 Black and white portrait photograph of John Hunter Gardiner, 1942

This photograph is of John Hunter Gardiner, who served with the Seaforth Highlanders during the Second World War. Inscribed on the corner is ‘Ever your Seaforth, John, 20.9.42’ and the photograph was likely sent to his fiancée, Daisy – they married in October that year. John was born in Tain in 1912, and we hold a collection of his civilian and military papers.

06/10/2026

It was a pleasure to welcome history pupils from Kingussie High School to the Highland Archive Centre yesterday.

The group, who are currently studying the era of the Great War and will shortly be moving on to studying the trade in enslaved African people, spent a full day with us, looking at documents from our collections, learning about the work of an archive centre, and doing some in depth document analysis. This was a particularly well-timed visit as we were delighted earlier this year to add to our collections the extensive records of Kingussie Primary School and Kingussie High School and were therefore able to include WWI-era records from their school in the workshop.

You can see from the photographs how engrossed the pupils were and it was lovely to read in their feedback comments about how much they had enjoyed the visit and how nice they had found the staff to be. There were also some very reflective comments about the visit enabling them to think about the links between different periods in the past and the lasting legacy of those events in the present day.

We look forward to working with them again!

The Highland Council